Tree Protection in Fayetteville, NC (2026)
2 verified tree protection rules for Fayetteville, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Fayetteville protects trees of 30 inches caliper or larger as specimen trees during development, and bars pruning or removal of state and national champion trees without the City Arborist's permission. Existing single-family detached homes are exempt from these standards.
Specimen and champion trees protected through development review
Some RestrictionsFayetteville UDO § 30-5.B.6 (Champion Big Trees)
No tree listed in the North Carolina Big Trees List, the American Forest Association's Champion Tree list or any tree that would measure 80 percent of the points of a tree on the North Carolina Big Trees List shall be pruned or removed without prior permission from the City Arborist.
Parkway Planting
New Fayetteville development must plant street trees along both sides of every street: canopy trees 25 to 40 feet apart, understory trees 15 to 25 feet apart beneath overhead utility lines, planted between the curb and sidewalk unless engineering approves otherwise.
Street Tree Spacing and Location Standards
Some RestrictionsFayetteville, N.C., Unified Development Ordinance § 30-5.B.4.a (Street Trees)
Street trees shall be required to serve all development in the City in accordance with the following: 1. Where Required. Except where exempted in (b) below, street trees shall be required along both sides of all streets... 5. Maximum On-Center Spacing. a. Understory trees shall be spaced between 15 to 25 feet on center, depending upon the species size at maturity. b. Canopy trees shall be space...
Looking for Cumberland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fayetteville city rules.
Tree Protection in Cumberland County →